dorchester issue no. 6 november-december 2013 voice...

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Issue No. 6 November-December 2013CHRISTMAS ISSUE

VoiceDorchester

Your independent community magazine

Town’s new one-way system

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Community News

Have your say on new one-way systemMembers of the public are being asked to give their opinions on plans for a new one-way traffic system in Dorchester.

The aim of the plan is to improve air quality, enhance the environment of the town centre and protect its historic buildings.

The first phase of the scheme, due to be intro-duced in November 2014, will include making High West Street and parts of High East Street one-way, new traffic signals at the junction of Princes Street and Albert Road, and some banned turns at the junction of Great Western Road.

Before the plans are finalised, local residents and businesses will have the chance to give their views on the proposed scheme through a series of public exhibitions running for five weeks up to 11 November.

Online questionnaireFull details of the whole scheme, along with an online questionnaire, can also be found on the Dorchester Transport pages at www.dorsetforyou.com/dorchester-transport-plan – the closing date for submissions is Monday, November 18.

The plans were first drawn up in 2003 but were later shelved due to funding issues. The original scheme involved creating a gyratory system at Maumbury Junction but this would have required expensive engineering design in the first phase of the development.

The scheme has now been revised, taking into account changes in traffic levels and new local developments such as Brewery Square, the Charles Street offices, park and ride, the Weymouth relief road and the expansion of Poundbury.

The £4.9 million scheme will now be carried out in two phases, with the second part due to be introduced in 2015 after the initial changes are monitored and assessed. A third phase may follow if funding is available.

Hilary Cox, Dorset County Council’s Cabinet member for the environment, said: “Dorchester is a beautiful and historic place but not designed for 21st century traffic. To ensure its future and to enhance the present we need to take appropriate action now.

Dorchester’s planned new one-way system

“The proposed traffic flow systems will make sure that traffic through the heart of the town is reduced, and by doing so, the town will be protected and improved for residents and visitors.”

Key elements of the schemel High West Street and part of High East Street are to be made one-way. Traffic will be able to go down High West Street as far as Church Street, but not up it;l Instead of travelling up High West Street, traffic will be re-routed via Church Street, Acland Road, South Walks Road, Great Western Road, Damers Road and Williams Avenue;l Travelling North-South and vice-versa through the town (for example, from Dorchester Tesco to Charminster) will remain unchanged;l There will be changes to Princes Street to mini-mise the impact on bus services;l There will be changes to various junctions in the town, limiting the directions traffic can take and improving facilities for pedestrians and cyclists;l Direction of flow on some roads will be changed.

The plans have been drawn up by Dorset Coun-ty Council with the support of West Dorset District Council, Dorchester Town Council, Dorchester BID and the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce.

4 November-December 2013Dorchester Voice

Tributes have poured in after the sudden death of Peter Legg, a prominent town businessman and chairman of Dorchester Business Improvement District (BID).

Mr Legg, 60, died in hospital after suffering a heart attack. He leaves a wife, Alison, and daugh-ter, Zoe.

Mr Legg was elected chairman of the BID last year, and helped guide the scheme, which aims to help improve trade in the town centre, to a suc-cessful second term in June.

Peter was born in Weymouth to a Dorset fam-ily and worked at Arthur Savage Insurance in Dorchester for more than 40 years.

He moved to the town 38 years ago when he married Alison, a Dorchester girl. He qualified as an insurance broker in 1976 and since then had devoted his talents to both local and national clients.

BID director Phil Gordon described Mr Legg as “one of Dorchester’s finest”. “Peter was Dorset through and through and one of the most dedi-cated, honest, hard working and straightforward people I have ever met – it was a privilege to have worked with him,” he said.

“He cared so much about Dorchester, its people and its businesses that when given the opportunity to get involved and lead the BID, he did so with characteristic flare, verve and enthusiasm, wanting only to do what would be best for the town.

“He was highly regarded and respected in Dorchester among the business community and many of the people he met also became good friends for life.

“All of us involved with the BID in Dorchester feel his loss greatly. I will miss his friendship, his wise words (and his special brand of humour), but we are all determined to make sure that we continue to improve and develop our support to the town’s business and make him prouder still of what the BID achieves in the future.

Town Crier Alistair Chisholm, who helped set up the BID, said he was “very, very saddened” by Mr Legg’s death. He said Mr Legg had been instru-mental in turning the BID around when he took over as chairman.

“It would be lovely if his inheritance were that the changes he knew needed to happen could happen – that would be his finest legacy,” he said.

Town pays tribute to BID’s Peter Legg

Peter Legg – sudden death of popular BID chairman


Work to start on Crossways churchWork is due to start before Christmas on a new church for Crossways – the fastest growing village in West Dorset, with a population of 2,500, and another 1,000 homes expected to be built in the next 10 years.

It is hoped work will start on laying the founda-tions St Aldhelm’s Crossways Community Church before Christmas.

The church is being built next to Frome Valley Church of England First School, in the same eco-friendly style of architecture, and will offer extra facilities for schoolchildren.

The local community and the church have raised £100,000 towards the project, while the diocese is contributing the rest to complete the total, expected to be in the region of £250,000.

Rev Jacquie Birdseye, vicar of the united benefice of Moreton, Crossways, Woodsford and Tincleton, said the whole community was looking forward to the church being opened next year.

“We will have a glorious opening day when the Bishop of Salisbury will come to dedicate it and the whole community will be invited to celebrations throughout the whole day,” she said.

The church, which will accommodate 200 peo-ple, will be a multi-use space, and as well as being used for school events such as after-school clubs, will also be available for concerts, exhibitions and even sports activities.

The move will see the bell-tower, erected when the school was built six years ago, become the focal point of the new church. The church was originally going to be built next to the school, but a covenant was placed on the land that it could only be used for educational purposes. The covenant has now been lifted, allowing the church to be built.

Crossways school and the bell-tower for the new churchPhoto courtesy Build It Green, Ferndown


Plans to relocate Dorchester Community Church to a new site in Trinity Street car park are moving forward.

West Dorset District Council is working with the Commu-nity Church to provide a new, purpose-built church in Trinity Street.

Once built, West Dorset Dis-trict Council and the Community Church will carry out a land swap so the district council will own the land at Acland Road where the old church building currently stands.

The district council intends to carry out preparatory works, in-cluding the demolition of the old church building, so that a major retail development on the entire Charles Street site can take place at some point in the future.

Campaigners are still pressing for a re-evaluation of the whole project to allow for a greater em-phasis on the town’s heritage and exploit its tourism potential.

Leader of West Dorset District Council, Robert Gould said: “The project to redevelop Charles Street remains a top priority for the district council.

“It has the potential to revitalise Dorchester town centre, increase the number of shoppers and visitors to the town and provide around 600 new jobs.

“The relocation of the Com-munity Church to a new site at Trinity Street will be an important part of preparing the Charles Street site for development.”

Douglas Holt, Secretary to the Trustees of Dorchester Commu-nity Church said: “We have been

looking with them at potential sites in the town for a replace-ment church since 2006.

“About three years ago the district council offered a site in Trinity Street car park.

“The church trustees have been having very fruitful discus-sions with the council staff and architects Atkins since early this year, and are very pleased with the plans.”

The proposed location for the new church building is within the front part of the district council’s Trinity Street car park.

The design will require the re-location of the entrance road and public toilets to elsewhere within the car park.

A new location for the C1 bus stop has also been accommo-dated into the scheme.

Church relocation plan one step closer


It’s that time of year again – Cracker Night is just around the corner, the official start to Christmas in Dorchester!

The town’s Christmas lights will be switched on at 6.30pm St Peter’s Church by Britain’s got Talent finalist Kai Widdrington, together with Tamaryn Payne – a Dorset girl who plays Annal-ise Appleton in Hollyoaks. They are both starring in Jack and the Beanstalk at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park.

Among the highlights this year are a rock choir, Christmas buskers and a Santa’s Grotto at the county museum. There will also be a Christmas procession and children are being encouraged to dress up as elves to follow Santa – details at the Dorchester Christmas Cracker Facebook page.

As well as all the usual entertainments and amusements, Cracker Night is also an opportu-nity to do some late night shopping, with a large number of our most popular shops and other businesses staying open into the evening.

The traditional Christmas stalls are a big part of the Cracker Night experience, creating an authentic Christmas market feel with everything from mulled wine to mince pies and hog roasts.

New for the first time this year is a Christmas Craft Fair in the Corn Exchange. Each table is 6ft x 2.5ft with set-up from 3pm and the market open from 4pm – 9pm. Tables are provided, and you can choose your pitch in advance – just visit dorchesterchristmascracker.co.uk.

“We’re expecting a big crowd, and hopefully there’ll even be an appearance from Father Christmas himself,” said organiser Steve Bulley.

Tamaryn set to make it a real Cracker

Tamaryn is set to make it a Cracker!Cracker cover photo courtesy Wessex FM


My name is Hettie Burn and I am 19 years old. I was the initiator and project leader of Try This... a week of people teaching other people what they know and what they can do.

Running from 16-21 September, Try This… in-vited you to open your mind a bit, learn something you’d always wanted to learn or something you had never even heard of before. A total of 36, one or two-hour sessions were scheduled and all were led by members of the local community.

These ran in 16 different venues across the town including Dorchester Learning Centre, the Corn Exchange and local coffee shops. Every session was free, fun, and open to all.

I first came up with the idea for Try This... at a workshop run by RSA in collaboration with Oxford Hub entitled ‘Empty Shop Talk’. The idea was to brainstorm ways in which an abundance of recently vacated shops on Britain’s high streets could be used for social good. My inspiration came particularly from the wonderful Trade School initiative (http://tradeschool.coop) in New York.

Growing up in Dorchester, I was well aware of the number of highly skilled members of our com-munity. Many of these people were very generous and enthusiastic but had no easy way of sharing their skills and knowledge.

I would like to express my thanks to everyone who made Try This... possible, in particular Emma Scott, Pauline Trimming, Keith Hatch, Sally Cooke, Julian English, Sue Burn and the wonderful folk of Dorchester.

Try This – a success for skill-sharingBy Hettie Burn

Getting to grips with knitting at Try This…


Robert and Susan Lunn with some of the mugs commemorating Lawrence and Hardy

Lawrence of Arabia’s china connectionThe exploits of Dorset-based hero Lawrence of Arabia have been commemorated by Dorchester’s fine china shop, Box of Porcelain.

The shop has been selected by the National Trust to supply a customised range of T E Lawrence memorabilia to his former house at Clouds Hill.

Run by Susan and Robert Lunn, Box of Porcelain has been established as a specialist, quality fine china shop in Dorchester for more than 20 years.

The couple already produce commemorative mugs of Dorchester, including a range depicting the town’s most famous son, Thomas Hardy.

Starting with a small shop in Icen Way in 1993, Box of Porcelain expanded to larger premises at 50 High East Street three years ago.

The Lunns are the main supplier in the area for Royal Crown Derby and Lladro Porcelain, and they are the only supplier in Dorset of Moorcroft Pottery. Through their websites Boxofporcelain.com, Moorcroft-pottery-bop.co.uk and Royalcrownderby.co.uk they also serve customers worldwide.

Like many people in Dorchester the Lunns have always found it impossible to obtain good quality items depicting Dorchester or the many famous people related to the Dorchester area.

Several attempts to convince their existing suppli-ers to produce something failed, due to the exces-sively large numbers required to make it competi-tive. This led them to look at alternative solutions and last year they formed Dorchester Products Ltd.

This new company run by the Lunns provides a range of customised giftware using the sublimation printing process. Using this system they are able to provide a range of items based on any digital image. Items can be customised to show anything, whether it be a photograph, drawing, logo or text.

It also enables them to produce items in small quantities – indeed for wholesale customers they have no minimum order requirements. The new company is being developed to provide custom-ised giftware items to organisations, clubs, and attractions that wish to promote their business with commemorative and giftware items without having to commit to the cost of holding large stocks.

Dorchester Products would be pleased to visit you to discuss any items you may wish to have produced. Phone Robert Lunn on 01305 267110, email [email protected], or just pop in.

Sponsored feature


Green living

If you are environmentally aware and would like to meet like-minded people in Dorchester, then Green Drinks is for you!

This international green social networking phenomenon offers a chance for people who are interested in environmental issues to meet socially for a drink and a chat.

Started in London in 1989, Green Drinks events are now held regularly in hundreds of towns and cities worldwide.

Dorchester’s Green Drinks is in Goldie’s pub – a nice friendly and relaxed atmosphere – on High East Street, Dorchester.

Green Drinks is a great way to make new con-tacts, catch up with friends or just hang out with people who share your values.

You don’t have to be an environmental activist to come along – everyone is welcome whatever their commitment to green issues.

Organisers and all attendees actively welcome newcomers – try to commit to meeting new people at every session and not just sticking with people you already know.

There is generally no agenda or theme – Green Drinkers mingle and share insights and provoke and exasparate and inspire each other.

There are moments of serendipity and a lot of “Oh, if you are interested in X then I must intro-duce you to that person over there who knows all about it”…

People who come to Green Drinks invite others along by word of mouth, who in turn themselves invite others, and so on.

It may be OK to have speakers for 20-30 mins or so or to have a theme for the evening to help stimulate discussion, but the bulk of the evening is free-form and random. There is a very informal vibe and overall light feel.

Green Drinks hosted by Transition Town Dorchester is a regular monthly event and is held in Goldie’s, Dorchester on the first Thursday of each month.

If you would like to speak or make a short presentation, just send an email to [email protected] in advance.

Come along and enjoy green drinks!By Pete West

Goldies – home to Green Drinks


Folklore & Heritage

Ancient pagan origins of the Yule log

Of all our Christmas celebrations, the Yule log is probably one of the most ancient. It almost certainly dates from

pre-Christian times, when the winter solstice was celebrated with the lighting bonfires in honour of the old gods as a form of sympathetic magic, to encourage the return of the sun at the darkest point of the year.

The word Yule is derived from the Scandinavian Juul, which interestingly, can be translated both as ‘wheel’ and ‘child’, reflecting both the turning of the year seasons and the rebirth of the sun. It was to placate the largely pagan inhabitants of northern Europe that the early Church decided to date Jesus’ birthday close to the winter solstice, so that the old ceremonies of the Celts, Saxons and Norse could be used in a Christian context.

The Yule log was taken up enthusiastically by the revived Druid orders that sprang up in the 18th and 19th centuries. A humorous (and prob-ably largely fictitious) account of a Druidic Yule log ceremony was printed in the Dorset County Chronicle on Christmas Day 1862:

A queer scene occurred in Dorchester last evening […] A lodge of Ancient Druids having dragged a Yule log, long marked out in Col. Damer’s planta-tions at Came, to some convenient spot, were kindling it with great solemnity, singing:

“Come bring with a noise,My merry merry boys,The Christmas log to the firing;While my good dame sheBids you all be free,And drink to your heart’s desiring.”

The log being thus dragged in was lighted with a brand saved from the previous year’s burning.The article then goes on to recount that a bal-

lad singer, fired with enthusiasm (and, no doubt, a little alcohol), made up a suitable verse for the occasion. Unfortunately, it was all but unintel-ligible but for the word ‘fire’, which having been repeated loudly and in rapid succession, caused the signal rockets from Maumbury Rings, Maiden Castle and Poundbury to be launched, bringing out the fire brigade in force!

The Ancient Druid order’s ceremony was a typically antiquarian mixture of Celtic and Ger-manic customs, not dissimilar from the ceremo-nies performed by Pagans today; the ‘song’ was actually a verse from the poem Hesperides by the 17th-century Devon poet Robert Herrick.

The Dorset folklorist John Symonds Udal de-scribes a more domestic version of the custom:

It was customary in many farmhouses on Christ-mas Eve for a large block of wood to be brought into the kitchen, and an immense fire having been made up, the farm labourers would come and sit round it, or as many were able would crowd into the chimney corner, and drink beer and cider. This was usually called a Christmas ‘brown’.

A similar custom was the burning of the ashen faggot, in which a large bundle of ash sticks, bound with green ash withies was cast onto the fire. Ash was the sacred tree of Saxon and Norse mythology, known as Yggdrasil, the ‘World Tree’.

Various meanings were attributed as to the way in which the ash burned, and as each bind-ing burst, the assembled company would raise their glasses in a toast. This tradition, which was believed to protect the household from evil spir-its, is still observed at the Shave Cross Inn, near Bridport, on the Old 12th Night every year.

Illustration from Chambers Book of Days, 1879

By Jerry Bird


Hidden Dorchester

Rev White, founder of Dorchester, USA

The old Rectory in Colliton Street, and (inset) The doorway in Superdrug

Hidden away, somewhat bizarrely, in the Superdrug store in South Street, is a remarkable survivor – a doorway from a

15th century rectory. Oddly, the building from which it was removed

still stands in Colliton Street, where a blue plaque records that it was the residence of the Rev John White, Rector of Holy Trinity and St Peter’s churches (1605-1648).

John White was a remarkable character. He was a puritan reformer in the Anglican Church, who strongly disapproved of the separatist colony estab-lished by the Pilgrim Fathers at New Plymouth.

Consequently, he organised a company of Dorset men to found a new colony, which would follow his own reforming principles within the established Church.

New Dorchester was to be a fishing and farming

community, with power allocated by religious pi-ety rather than rank or wealth. Unfortunately, like several other such ventures, the New Dorchester settlement failed, and the Dorset men moved to a new location, now known as Salem.

Undaunted, White formed the New England Company in 1627 to support a new Massachusetts Bay colony by securing land and sending more settlers, personally selected by himself.

The company was given a charter in 1629 by Charles I and a fleet of ships sailed to establish a second new Dorchester the following year; it of-ficially became part of Boston in 1870.

The first parish church still stands, and is re-ferred to as a ‘foundation stone of the nation’ – it is now a Unitarian-Universalist church but still bears the dedication ‘Daughter of John White’.

The rector never fulfilled his aim to join the �


‘Rude giant’: star-gate to the otherworld?

The Cerne Giant is a controversial figure in archaeological circles. Long assumed by antiquaries to be ancient, probably from the

Iron Age, more recent investigations have led to many experts regarding him as being no earlier in origin than the 17th century, though the arguments are by no means conclusive.

To be fair, Peter Knight’s book does not shy away from this controversy, and he references the book The Cerne Giant on Trial, published in 1999, which set out the various arguments concerning the giant’s antiquity, or lack of it. He also frequently quotes Rodney Castleden’s book The Cerne Giant (1996), which also acknowledges the controversy.

Knight, however, has convinced himself that the giant belongs in the Iron Age, and, after repeat-ing much of Castleden’s excellent work, he gives us a history of phallicism and fertility folklore in general, followed by an extremely eclectic list of pagan deities which he suggests the figure might represent. He then expounds on his ‘astronomical discoveries’, which are somehow supposed to con-vince the reader that the giant is connected with a mythical ‘star-gate’ through which the soul passed on a celestial journey to the otherworld, according to the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.

I read this section twice, trying to make sense of it, only to remain baffled. The only part which made any sense at all was the possible alignment of the giant’s phallus to the Beltane sunrise, which acknowledges the work of antiquaries such as John Sydenham, who regarded the figure as representing the Sun god Helith.

It is a great shame that this is the only book on the Cerne Abbas Giant currently available in the Cerne Abbas village shop or the Dorset County Museum. For anyone who wants to read a compre-hensive and scholarly account of the ‘rude man of Dorset’, I would recommend seeking out a copy of Rodney Castleden’s excellent book.The Cerne Giant. Landscape, Gods and the Stargate by Peter KnightStoneseeker Publishing £11.99ISBN 978-0-9560342-2-9

Literary Corner

New World colony, of which he is still known as the patriarch. Instead, he stayed at home and raised funds to help the settlers overcome their ini-tial difficulties, and convert the Native Americans to Christianity.

In the latter ambition they failed completely – a cause of much disappointment to the Rev gentle-man. Locally, he was instrumental in founding the almshouses known as Napper’s Mite, which still stand in South Street. He lies buried in the porch of St Peter’s church.

The stone archway was removed from Colliton Street in 1931 by Watts Brothers, the contractors who were rebuilding the shops in South Street, and who were using White’s rectory as a workshop at the time.

The building, sadly in a poor state of repair, is now owned by Dorset County Museum.

�


Health & Wellbeing

Helping your body to heal itself

D o you dream of being pain-free, stopping the tablets and resuming a ‘normal’ life? Well, there’s no such thing as ‘normal’!

As a chiropractor, I treat many different condi-tions, including back pain – actually, what we’re best known for. The body give us pain for all sorts of reasons, but the main reason is it’s crying for help, telling you “I can’t fix this by myself, I need you to do something different”.

Think about the pain you get if you touch some-thing that’s too hot. Your finger hurts, but why? It’s because the heat is causing damage (burning) to your skin, thus destroying the tissues of your finger.

Your body realises this, so makes you remove your finger from the heat source by triggering pain, thus preventing further damage. Chiropractic works in a similar way, removing harmful interference from the nervous system, allowing your body to function bet-ter and thus reducing pain and inflammation.

Your brain and spinal cord make up your central nervous system, which in turn controls everything in your body. Your arm moves because your brain sends a message to it via the spinal cord and nerves in your neck, creating movement. Therefore, if your neck isn’t working properly, you may have pain or tingling in your arm, elbow, wrist or hand, as well as pain in your neck.

Chiropractic works by allowing your body to repair itself, so as a chiropractor I help bodies in this task by helping your nervous system to send out clear messages to the body to help it heal. I also ask people about their lifestyle and diet – no-one is ever going to be healthy eating just McDonald’s and drinking Coke!

Sometimes emotional stress plays a part in nerv-ous system dysfunction, so I help people work out how to deal with their issues, suggesting they see a counsellor or hypnotherapist if appropriate. I also look into any physical stresses people place on themselves, highlighting that sometimes the worst thing is just what a lot of people do all day… sitting!

So, next time you think “I’ve got a pain”, instead of reaching for the painkillers, try chiropractic! After all, it’s not a belief, just human biology!

A client receives treatment from a chiropractorImage courtesy British Chiropractic Association

By Jocelyn Medley-Rose


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Mumming plays, which are generally performed throughout the Christ-

mas and New Year period, are an ancient and mysterious form of traditional English folk drama.

There are regional variations throughout the country but most follow a similar plot, involving a sword-fight between St George and a Turkish knight, sometimes called Bold Slasher. When one of the pro-tagonists is killed, the quack doctor appears to perform a resurrection, which seems to be the central theme of the play.

Other characters that sometimes appear are Robin Hood, Old Father Christmas, Beelzebub and Twing Twang or Little Johnny Jack, who usually collects the money.

The Symondsbury version is re-garded as one of the most authentic and unchanged plays in the coun-try, and is performed in West Dorset to this day. Mummers are usually men wearing costumes of tatters and masks, or sometimes with their faces blacked up as a disguise.

Most folklorists tend to agree that this was a means of individual players avoiding censure by the

Church and the squirearchy, who by the early 19th century tended to regard such customs as little more than an elaborate form of begging by the lower orders. An account of Christmas celebrations in the diary of Mary Frampton of Moreton for 1830, records:

“The carol singers from Mr Frampton’s own parishes ushered in Christmas Eve and Christmas Morn as usual, but no mummers were allowed to perform their ancient drama of the wonderful recovery of a man killed in battle by a little bot-tle of elixir drawn from the pocket of the doctor of the piece.”

The impoverished agricultural labourers who took part in such seasonal rites, which also included carolling and wassailing, usually took them very seriously, being an important means of subsidising their meagre living, as the following story attests.

Thomas Hardy was an avid col-lector of folklore, and often used folk tales, songs and tunes in his stories and poetry, including some which had been passed down

through the Hardy family from one generation to the next.

He used the script of the Beam-inster mummers play (unattributed) in his novel Return of the Native, which is interesting, as it was not otherwise published until 1904, six years after Hardy’s novel first appeared, suggesting that he had first-hand knowledge. It is known that his cousins, the Sparks brothers of Puddletown, regularly performed in their local mumming play, and in his biography, edited by Florence Hardy, a note for 1920 reads: “On Christmas night the carol singers and mummers came to Max Gate as they had promised, the latter performing the Play of St George, as he had seen it performed in his childhood.”

Hardy also scoured newspaper records for material, so it is no sur-prise to read in his ‘facts’ notebook, the following account taken from the Dorset County Chronicle, of an assault on his uncle by a mummer from Fordington, which took place in Dorchester on Christmas Eve 1827:

“Thomas Amey was indicted

Riots in Fordington – and all over a mumming play!

Symondsbury Mummers play, 2012

A 19th century view of the rear of Mill Lane Fordington

By Jerry Bird


for an assault on John Hardy. It ap-peared from the evidence adduced that on Christmas Eve (1827) Hardy, who belongs to the Bock-hampton band, was in the kitchen of the Phoenix Inn with the remain-der of the band. Whilst there a set of mummers from Fordington came to the door, & one of them knocked the drum-stick out of the hand of Hardy, who was then standing out-side the door. As he stooped down to pick up the drum stick he was struck on the head by Amey with a wooden sword with such violence as to knock him down. He then went into the street where he was knocked down several times and much bruised.”

The Chronicle for 17 January 1829 reported that Amey, who de-nied the charge, was given a lenient sentence of just a fortnight in jail, in consideration of his good character.

The court’s leniency did not ex-tend to four more of the Fordington mummers who were indicted for creating a riot on the same evening, and assaulting James and William Keates, the two other members of the Bockhampton band.

The assailants George Burt, John Lock and Joseph Lucas were each given three months’ imprisonment with hard labour, while George’s brother James received six. At the trial, as reported in the Dorset County Chronicle for 24 January 1828, the prosecutor, a Mr Gambier stated:

“It appears that for many years past, there has been a co-partner-ship or corporation composed of individuals, who assume to themselves the designation of the Fordington Mummers, and who conceive that they are entitled from their prescriptive right to a monopoly in their profession of affording amusement to the good people of that parish and neigh-bourhood, during the convivial and merry-making time of Christmas.

“In the last year, however, a rival society has sprung up to pluck from them a portion of their laurels, in the neighbouring parish of Bockhampton, under the imposing title of the Bockhampton Band; and as the object of these latter was to afford a delicious titillation to the auricular nerves of the inhabitants of Bockhampton, Fordington and

the neighbourhood, by the perform-ance of certain harmonious selec-tions from the ‘first composers’, the profits of the honourable fraternity first mentioned were in a degree diminished.

“It was exceedingly natural that under this circumstance, a portion of hostility should exist; and as will be seen by the subjoined evidence, this hostility ripened on Christmas-eve last, into what may be almost termed a ‘battle royal’.”

It seems that the Bockhampton men were heading home between Swan Bridge and Grey’s Bridge at about 10pm when Hardy was once again set upon, this time by Lucas Burt, who, spoiling for a fight, pulled off his coat and, along with his brother George, threatened to smash the drum.

Hardy and the Keates broth-ers attempted to get away but were surrounded by the rest of the mummers, by which time an unruly crowd numbering around a hundred had gathered, perhaps angered by the previous arrest of Thomas Amey. Joseph Keates ‘re-ceived a severe blow on his body, one on the back of his head and a

Riots in Fordington – and all over a mumming play!

A 19th century view of the rear of Mill Lane Fordington

The junction of High Street, Fordington and High East Street, Dorchester


gash in his forehead with a sword, (this wound was very visible, and appeared of no inconsider-able extent)’. Keates was obliged to consult a surgeon, and ‘The conduct of all four of the prisoners was very noisy, outrageous, and abusive, and they swore very much’.

While these accounts may seem somewhat comic now, they do il-lustrate the desperate plight of the rural poor in Dorset in the first half of the 19th century. Fordington was then more a village in its own right, rather than just a suburb of Dorchester as it is now. It was notorious for the grinding poverty and insanitary conditions endured by its inhabitants – Thomas Hardy referred to it in The Mayor of Cas-terbridge as ‘the mildewed leaf in the flourishing Casterbridge plant’.

There was also, no doubt, a tribal element to the skirmish, as the Bockhampton ‘outsiders’ do not actually seem to have been mumming in competition with the Fordington men, though their music, including ‘selections from the first composers’ was presum-ably well-received enough to cause a good deal of jealousy in their rivals. It is, perhaps, signifi-cant that we first encounter them in the kitchen of the Phoenix Inn, in High East Street, Dorchester, where they may well have been enjoying a reward of food and drink for performing.

The punishments handed out to Lucas, Lock and the Burts may seem harsh now, but in the context of the time, when, as the notice on Grey’s Bridge, and many others in Dorset, still proclaim, it was possible for any person upon conviction to be ‘liable to be

transported for life by the court’ for ‘wilfully injuring’ a county bridge, three to six months for riot and assault was not unreasonable.

Also, the powers that be were getting tetchy about outbreaks of machine-breaking and fire-setting – desperate acts of civil disobedi-ence that would culminate only seven years later in the transpor-tation of George Loveless and the other Tolpuddle Martyrs for attempting to better their lot legiti-mately, by forming a trade union.

A group of Fordington men, some of whom were probably in-volved in the fracas of 1827, were involved in an affray with some soldiers in the Three Mariners pub

in Dorchester during Christmas celebrations in 1829.

The Chronicle records that after a ‘trivial’ argument, the soldiers drew their swords and were chased up the High Street towards their barracks by men with “spits, pokers, pitchforks [and] any other weapon they could lay their hands on, and a general melee ensued”.

On this occasion, several seri-ous injuries were inflicted (by the soldiers).

Clearly, the men of Fordington were not to be trifled with, and unsurprisingly, there are no further records of the Bockhampton band performing in the neighbourhood at Christmas time again.

The Phoenix Inn today, now a tattoo parlour and flats

Fordington’s grinding poverty


Pop into church and de-stress!Church Corner

The advent of Christmas brings the excitement of anticipation, which young children feel so readily. There is a hint in the air that perhaps we should start thinking about buying some cards or presents and making plans – or are you one who has it all sorted well in advance?

For some readers this time of year will bring a measure of anxiety either in worrying about all the practical preparations to be made and/or the financial implications. It is well known that certain people will burn off many extra calories rushing around in prepa-ration for 25 December!

One of the enjoyable parts of my job as vicar is to attend and host local school carol services and nativities. The sense of awe and wonder in the young people, the joy of singing the Christmas story in well-known melody or the professional beauty and mystery portrayed in the anthems, readings and recit-als… moments of stress relief on our doorsteps.

So, whatever your situation – busy or relaxed, hap-py or sad – why not stop a while at one of the variety of Christmas services available (see opposite page for parish churches in town) at this time of celebration?

Advent is the name used by the church to mark the countdown to Christmas. Advent is known as an op-portunity for inner preparation and stillness to make way for the great celebration of joy.

Goodwill and peace to you all this Christmastide and beyond!Rev Vicky Thurtell, St Peter’s Church, Dorchester

Christmas servicesDorCHESTEr – ST PETEr’S19 December 7.30pm, carol service, Thomas Hardye School Chapel choir22 December 6.30pm, Nine Lessons and CarolsChristmas Eve, 11.30pm Candlelit Midnight MassChristmas Day, 10am Christmas Eucharist

DorCHESTEr – ST MAry’S22 December 6pm Carol serviceChristmas Eve, 4.30pm Christingle, 11pm MassChristmas Day, 9.45am, Family Eucharist

DorCHESTEr – ST GEorGE’S, ForDINGToNDecember 22, 4.30pm Carol serviceChristmas Eve, 4pm Crib service, 11.30pm Communion Christmas Day, 8am Communion, 10.15am Family Communion

CerNe AbbAs, buCKlANd NeWToN, GodmANsToNe, MINTErNE MAGNA19 December 6.30pm Carol service Minterne Magna

20 December 6pm Carol service Cerne Abbas22 December 6pm Carol service Buckland Newton23 December 6pm Carol service GodmanstoneChristmas Eve 4pm Crib service, Cerne Abbas; Christingle, Buckland Newton, 5pm; Midnight Mass, Cerne Abbas, 11.30pm Christmas Day 9.30am Family service, Buckland Newton; 11am family service Cerne Abbas

CroSSWAyS, MorEToN, TINCLEToN, WooDSForD15 December 4pm Carol service, Woodsford Church20 December 7pm Carol service, Tincleton Church followed by Punch And Munch in Tincleton Village Hall22 December 10.30am Eucharist with carols, Crossways Youth Centre; 6pm Nine Lessons and Carols, Moreton ChurchChristmas Eve 4pm Crib service, Woodsford Church; 9pm Holy Communion, Tincleton Church; 11.30pm Midnight Mass, Moreton ChurchChristmas Day 10am Family Communion, Woodsford Church

Wool ANd eAsT sToKe22 December 10am Crib service 6.30pm Carols by CandlelightChristmas Eve 11.30pm Midnight MassChristmas Day 8am Holy Communion; 10am Family Com-munion

PuDDLEToWN, ToLPuDDLE, MILBorNE AND DEWLISH15 December 4pm Carol service Tolpuddle; 4pm Christingle Milborne; 6pm Carol service Puddletown 17 December 7.30pm Carol service Milborne22 December 3pm Carol service DewlishChristmas Eve 4pm Crib service Tolpuddle; 5pm Crib Service Puddletown; 11.30pm Midnight Mass Milborne; 11.30 pm Midnight Mass Puddletown Christmas Day 9.30am Christmas Holy Communion Dewlish; 9.30am Christmas Holy Communion Tolpuddle; 10am Christ-mas Family Service Milborne; 11am Christmas family service Puddletown

WINTErBourNES AND CoMPToN VALENCE15 December 4pm Christingle, Martinstown19 December 6.30pm Carol service, Compton Valence20 December 6pm Carol service, Winterbourne Steepleton 22 December 6pm Carol service, MartinstownChristmas Eve 4pm Crib service, Martinstown; 11pm Midnight Mass, Winterbourne AbbasChristmas Day 9.30am Family service, Compton Valence; 11am Family service, Martinstown

CHArMINSTEr AND STINSForD9 December 6.45pm Dorchester Choral Society: Carols Old and New (free), Charminster15 December at 6pm Carols with mulled wine and mince pies, Stinsford20 December at 6pm Carols with mulled wine and mince pies, Charminster22 December 4pm Nativity and Christingle service, StinsfordChristmas Eve 4pm Nativity and Christingle service, 11pm Holy Eucharist, Charminster; 11pm Holy Eucharist, StinsfordChristmas Day 8am Traditional BCP Holy Communion, 9.30am Family Eucharist, Charminster; 10am Family Eucharist, Stinsford


Some of the delicious offerings in Cups and Cakes

A taste of heaven at Cups and CakesIf you find yourself tired from all that Christmas shopping, why not take the chance to flee the crowded streets, put down those shopping bags and find a small corner to relax over an aromatic coffee and a cheeky slice of freshly home-made cake?

At Cups and Cakes in Princes Street, Dorchester, that is exactly what you can expect to experience as soon as you walk through the door. The staff are welcoming and friendly and aim to provide the highest quality of customer service with the smiles that greet you as you enter.

The relaxed atmosphere at Cups and Cakes makes you feel at ease while you ponder over the varied cake display and take your time to choose which delicacy you want to tuck into.

There is a wide range of cup-cakes, the most popular treats being the coffee and walnut cake, Malteser slices and home-made panettone teacakes. Also available is a variety of hot or cold breakfast/lunch options that can really hit the spot if you are looking for something to fill that hole!

The new opening time of 8.30am means Cups and Cakes has now added a new option of a full English breakfast to cater for those who need some-thing hearty before starting work; it comes with locally sourced bacon, pork and apple sausages, toast, and a few options you may not find anywhere else in town, such as the roasted cumin tomatoes and home-made Boston baked beans. All of this for just £5.75. At lunchtime; there is wide selection of seasonal and interesting salad and vegetable dishes from the deli table, fresh soup of the day and home-made pulled-pork rolls.

Cups and Cakes is one of the few cafes in Dorchester open on a Sunday, so why not pop in for a coffee, or perhaps lunch? The staff will keep you well fed, and there is a variety of coffees, loose-leaf teas and delicious ice-cream-based milkshakes. It all makes for a perfect lazy afternoon spent reading the daily papers or chilling with friends.

The owners take great pride in being a small independent cafe, but there is still plenty of seating and on a sunny day there are even tables outside and on the roof terrace. So if you have never heard of it before, it’s Number Two, Princes Street. Go and try for yourselves!

Quality food


Quality food

Try this home-made Christmas pud!Many families have Christmas recipes handed down through the generations, and they should ideally be prepared well in advance for the alcohol to age and enhance the flavour of cakes and puddings.

Christmas puddings date from medieval Eng-land, when they were prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, being made in Novem-ber on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, although the pudding as we know it today dates from Victorian times, when it was known as a plum pudding.

Preparing the pudding brings together the whole family, and the use of charms or coins in the pud-ding often forms part of the tradition.

Gluten-free Christmas pudding100g sultanas100g raisins100g currants100g mixed peel100g chopped cherries75g ground almonds50g chopped almonds100g dark brown sugar75g gluten-free flour1/2 teaspoon each mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon2 eggs100g vegetable suet1 grated apple110ml stout (eg Guinness)65ml brandyAll dry ingredients are available from Down To Earth health food shop, Princes Street, Dorchester. Soak the fruit in the alcohol overnight. Mix all the ingredients and pack into a greased two-pint pud-ding bowl. Cover with baking parchment and a tight-fitting lid. Steam for four hours, allow to cool, replace parchment and store in a cool, dark place. To serve, steam for one hour.


Exquisite food makes Masala a night Masala, 14 High East Street, Dorchester

They say that a curry is now the favourite meal out for us Brits, and Dorchester is blessed with at least four Indian restaurants.

One of the finest is without doubt Masala in High East Street – attested to by the fact that on the Friday evening we chose to eat there, the restaurant was almost full to overflowing.

No Indian meal would be complete with a few spicy popadoms to whet the appetite, and I can honestly say that the dips that accompa-nied them were probably the tastiest I have ever eaten.

For starters my partner had a vegetable sa-mosa, a really tasty parcel of spiced vegetables, while I chose a delightful dish of mixed chicken tikka, lamb tikka and sheek kebabs.

For mains Jayne had the Masala Exotica – chicken cooked in a delicously fruity sauce of coconut, mango and banana. Of course, I had

Wine & Dine

The friendly team at Masala in High East Street


to try some and it was quite exquisite! Mean-while I chose the Duck Rezala – marinated duck cooked with fried onions, spring onions, garlic, coriander, peppers and tomatoes.

This was duck as I had never experienced it before – meltingly tender with a delicate smoky flavour in a sauce that beautifully complement-ed the duck, rather than overpowering it.

I had asked the chef to turn down the heat on a dish that is normally rated at the same level as a Jalfrezi or a Madras, and he was more than happy to oblige – always worth remembering if something catches your eye on the menu, but it has a high ‘chilli rating’!

Masala’s menu is undoubtedly one of the most varied I have seen in an Indian restaurant, but it was the sheer quality of the food and subtlety of flavours that stood out for me. Thoroughly recommended.Richard Reed

to remember


A day school at Dorset County Museum offers a special opportunity to explore the story of two places linked by a common name – Lyme Regis and Lyminge in Kent.

Talks on the day focus on the later years of the 7th century: the archaeological investigations at Lyminge in Kent, and the writings of the fathers of the Christian Church at Lyme in Dorset.

You will get the chance to discover how these

two very different research projects provoke new insights into each other.

The day school will be hosted by Dorset County Museum Director Jon Murden with guest speaker Dr Gabor Thomas from University of Reading and director of the Lyminge Excavations.

Lyme in Dorset and Lyminge in Kent, 16 November 10am tickets £15/£5 students available from the museum shop on 01305 756827.

Chance to discover Lyme’s Kentish links at museum

Out & About

The team at Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre near Wool are proud to announce the safe ar-rival of baby twin chimpanzees – Thelma and Louise!

The beautiful twin girls have an extended family of 19, including mum, Cherri. Monkey World’s female chimpanzees are given birth control pills to avoid over-populating the 65-acre primate rescue centre, and because there are still more chimpanzees around the world that need rescuing.

Cherri was put on antibiotics last winter for a chest infection, which caused her contraception to fail. As the park’s birth control ‘out-laws’, the twin girls have been aptly named Thelma and Louise after the famous movie fugitives!

It’s not the first time Cherri’s contraception has failed, but previously she was a very young mum who would set her baby down to go outside and play. That was more than 10 years ago and now mum Cherri is in her early 20s is doting on both infants, even if she has got her hands full!

She also has the protection of her adopted fam-ily of 18 other chimpanzees and, in particular, a male chimpanzee named Simon who has not left her side since she gave birth. Primate care staff are optimistic, but keeping a close eye on Cherri and the tiny babies’ progress as it will not be an easy job for Cherri with the twins dependent upon her for the next five years.

Director of Monkey World Dr Alison Cronin said: “We knew Cherri was pregnant but twins were a surprise, as they are not very common. So far Cherri is doing a great job with the girls and is very attentive to both their needs. If one is turned around the wrong way, Cherri makes sure that both babies are placed near to her breasts so that both infants have a good opportunity to feed.

“It is fantastic to see her doing so well, espe-cially as chimpanzees use their hands and feet to walk and climb, but Cherri is very conscious to help support the two infants.

“It is also wonderful to see how supportive the whole group is as they are all orphans from the en-tertainment industry, laboratories, the black market pet trade and defunct zoos.”

Thelma and Louise arrive at MonkeyWorld!

Cherri snuggles up with one of her twins at Monkey World


Miranda Sykes is best known as a member of the band Show of Hands, but is an accomplished singer and instrumentalist with a captivating voice.

She is one of the few female double-bassists in England and is an accomplished singer in her own right. Miranda holds her audience spellbound: it is the emotional quality of her voice that makes her musical partnership with mandolin-player Rex Preston so engaging,

The rare fusion of double bass and mandolin makes for one of the most exciting new pairings on the acoustic roots scene. Miranda and Rex interweave timeless, well-chosen covers with one or two Preston originals. Their backgrounds, as well as skilful instrumentation and warm engaging vocals, have shaped their unique sound.

Miranda Sykes and Rex Preston, Sunday 15 December, Dorchester Arts Centre, 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm) £12/£10 conc.

Lucy Porter – familiar from TV and radio, is on tour with her best comedy show yet. Born in Croydon, to a Northern Irish dad and a Midlander mum, Lucy never felt that she belonged ‘down South’. She tried moving to Manchester, marrying a Welshman and travelling the world, but she’s still – like the littlest hobo – seeking her spiritual home.Lucy Porter: Northern Soul, Friday 13 December Dorches-ter Arts Centre, 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) £12/£10 conc.

It’s Life and Beth with Dorchester Drama

Miranda Sykes in concert

Lucy Porter’s comic turn

Beware – Long John Silver is heading for town!

Dorchester Arts Scene

Dorchester Drama – for more fun and frolics

Fun and laughter is in store in Dorchester Drama’s festive production of Life and Beth by much-loved playwright Alan Aykbourn.

It is Christmas, and Beth Timms is mourning the recent death of her health and safety officer hus-band, Gordon. Beth’s sister-in-law Connie and son Martin have come to stay, determined to ensure that she should have a stress-free Christmas, but between Connie’s drinking problem and Martin’s unspeaking and emotionally volatile girlfriend Ella, their intentions prove to be short-lived.

Only David, the local vicar, provides Beth with any comfort, but when he says a prayer for her bereavement he unwittingly summons an unwel-come visitor!

Dorchester Drama chairwoman Anne Reeve says, “We are very excited that local professional actors Paul Lawless and Richelle Khan are co-directing the production. They have brought a lot of enthusiasm, commitment and fun! This will be a lovely way to start the festive period.”

Cast members include regulars Stella Hollis as Beth, Nick Heape as Gordon and Sarah Hayes as Connie. The group is always keen for new mem-bers and is delighted to welcome three newcomers to the group, Ashley Newman, Tony Atkins and Katherine Kennet. Emma Follis and Sam Kelly make up the remainder of the cast.Life and Beth, Sunninghill Community Hall, Thurs 21 to Sat 23 November, 7:30pm. Tickets at £8 in advance (£5 conc.) from Trinity Stores, Trinity Street Dorchester or box office 01305 889202. Tickets on the door £9.

Avast there my hearties! Treasure Island is coming to Dorchester - but set in a modern-day super-market where late-night shelf-stackers let their imaginations run wild.

While hiding from the all-controlling night security guard, shopping trollies become ships, tin cans become parrots and checkouts become desert islands! Treasure Island, Mind the Gap Theatre, Friday 6 DecemberCorn Exchange, 7pm (doors & bar 6.30pm) £30 fam-ily/£12 adults/£8 conc.


Laugh a minute atstand-up night

Elijah’s on the open mic at Cerne Abbas

Stand-up comics Matt Price, Len-ny Peters and Paul T Eyres take the stage at the Corn Exchange for an evening of stand-up com-pèred by Craig Murray.

Matt Price’s trademark interactive style has its roots in the robust atmosphere of the award-winning Yellow Kangaroo comedy club in Cardiff, where he was resident compère in his early career. Stand-up Dorchester, Friday 29 November, Corn Exchange 8.15pm (doors and bar 7.30pm) £8/£6 conc.

The global pharmaceuticals market is worth more than £200 billion a year and every new drug entering this gigantic mar-ket has to go through a rigorous testing regime.

Dr Mike Youle leads the de-bate on the clinical and ethical issues surrounding this hugely important area of medicine.

‘Drugs on trial: from lab to patient’ with Dr Mike Youle, is being staged in association with The Thomas Hardye School.Drugs on Trial, Friday 22 November, Dorchester Arts Centre, 7.30pm (free).

The world of ‘Blowers’ knows no full stops. Henry Blofelds’ idi-osyncratic form of commentary is unique and is best known as a cricket commentator on BBC Radio 4’s Test Match Special.

His one-man shows have sold out across the UK, including the Royal Albert Hall, and his stories about Ian Fleming, Noel Cow-ard, Clive Dunn and others have brought the house down.

Henry Blofeld: TMS and All That, Sat-urday 23 November, Dorchester Arts Centre, 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm), £16 / £14 conc.

Ballet Theatre UK returns with The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s most loved and unforgettable musical score combines with the superb choreography of Christo-pher Moore.

This new production is an enchanting adventure beautifully told through the magic of dance, with more than 80 exquisite costumes combining to create

an atmosphere of fantasy and illusion.

The performance features The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, The Waltz of the Flowers and more.The NutcrackerBallet Theatre UKWednesday 18 DecemberDorchester Corn Exchange 2.30pm and 7.30pm£15/ £13 members / £11 conc.

Drugs on trial: the big debate

Anyone for cricket with Blowers?

Ballet at the Corn ExchangeDorchester Arts Scene

Up-and-coming talent Elijah Wolf is running the ‘Howl’ open mic slot at the Royal Oak in Cerne Abbas on the first Thurs-day of the month from 8.30pm.

Elijah has recently had his own songs with my band The Gravity Drive played on Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music.

“Everybody is welcome to come and perform, any age, any ability, any genre,” he says. “We can guarantee you an enthusi-astic and warm welcome – the atmosphere at the royal Oak is fantastic and original songs are very much welcome.”

The magic of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker comes to the Corn Exchange


6 November 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. The Blue Raddle, Dorchester 01305 2677627 November 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s, High East Street, Dorchester 01305 2640208 November The Crack – Party Pop covers band. Finns, Wey-mouth. 01305 7780988 November 7pm The Orb plus special guests. £22 adv/£24 on door. The Electric Palace, Bridport. 01308 4249018 November 7.30pm Music for Remembrance. Lady St Mary’s, Wareham 01202 875229 9 November 9.00pm Peter James Millson. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 2640209 November 6.30pm The Land Remains with John Anderson’s Cast In Time (folk and storytelling). Langton Matravers Village Hall 01929 4228329 November 10-4pm Classical Guitar Ensemble. £55. King-combe Centre. For more info 01300 32068410 November 3-5.00pm Nick Capaldi (acoustic music). Durno-varia Wine Bar/Café 01305 75601911 November 8.00pm Folk Music Session. Fox & Hounds, Cat-tistock 01258 83737114 November 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s, High East Street, Dorchester 01305 26402014 November 7.30pm Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman (folk). Arts Centre, Dorchester 01305 267992/266926 15 November Amy Mayes Band (Soul and Motown). Finns, Weymouth 01305 77809816 November Surge (old-school rock). Finns, Weymouth. 01305 77809816 November 7.30-10.30 A concert by Ben Waters and his Band (in aid of pancreatic cancer) Herrison Hall. 01305 26718516 November 8pm Catfish Keith – Da Blues. £1 /£6.50* in advance £14/£7* on the door (*conc). Dorchester Arts Centre 01305 26692616 November 9.00pm Blue Mile. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 26402016 November 7.30pm Karen Tweed & Paul Hutchinson (accord-ian aces). Burton Bradstock Village Hall 01308 89721417 November 3-5.00pm Jack Daniels & Benny Wain (acoustic duo with ace fiddle). Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café 01305 75601917 November 7.30pm Karen Tweed and Paul Hutchinson (ac-cordian aces). Village Hall, Studland 01929 35147717 November 7.30pm Traditional folk music session. The Chalk and Cheese, Maiden Newton 01300 32139618 November 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. Goldies, Dorchester 01305 45820220 November 8.30pm Matt Tarling & Friends (Irish folk session). The Blue Raddle, Dorchester 01305 26776221 November 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s, High East Street, Dorchester 01305 26402021 November 7.30pm Petites Annonces (gypsy jazz). Village Hall, Melbury Osmund. 01935 8341021 November 7pm Dizraeli and The Small Gods plus the Gas-light Troubadours. The Electric Palace, Bridport. £10 adv/ £12 on door. 01308 42490122 November 7.30pm Petites Annonces (gypsy jazz). Village Hall, Durweston. 01258 48888322 November 7pm Steeleye Span. The Electric Palace, Bridport. £20 adv/£22 door 01308 42490123 November Splinter (hard-rock covers) Finns, Weymouth 01305 778098 23 November 7pm Lau (folk) The Electric Palace, Bridport. £15 adv/£17 door. 01308 42490123 November 9.00pm Relics (rock and blues). Bull’s Head,

Gig Guide pop, rock, jazz, classical…

Fordington, Dorchester 01305 26487424 November 3-5.00pm Tom Caulfield (acoustic singer/guitar-ist). Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café 01305 75601924 November 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) Ruarri Joseph (singer-songwriter) & Lily and Meg – music. £9/£7 members and concessions. Dorchester Arts Centre. 01305 26692627 November 7.30pm ‘Standing Tall’ Vera van Heeringen (folk). Village Hall, Shipton Gorge 01308 89756228 November 8pm Brook Williams and Robbie Macintosh. Sun-ray Folk Club, Broadmayne Village Hall. £7 (£1 Annual member-ship required) 07786 654074 www.sunrayfolkclub.co.uk28 November 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorches-ter 01305 26402028 November 7.30pm ‘Standing Tall’ Vera van Heeringen (folk). Village Hall, Chetnole 01935 87355528 November 6.30 for 7.30pm Jethro. The Electric Palace, Bridport. £20.50 adv/£22.50 door. 01308 42490129 November 7.30pm ‘Standing Tall’ Vera van Heeringen (folk). Pamela Hambro Hall, Winterborne Stickland 01258 88092029 November 7.30pm ‘Autumn Voices’ (acoustic music). Dorset Advocacy charity gig. Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 26799229 November 7.30pm RSVP (Bhangra) Village Hall, Sturminster Marshall 01258 85701930 November 9.00pm Vanilla Radio. Tom Brown’s, High East Street, Dorchester 01305 2640201 December 3-5.00pm Kipper (acoustic singer/guitarist). Durno-varia Wine Bar/Café 01305 7560194 December 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. The Blue Raddle, Dorchester 01305 2677625 December 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorches-ter 01305 2640205 December Open Mic night hosted by Elijah Wolfe. The Royal Oak, Cerne Abbas. 01300 3417976 December 9.00pm 2 Fat Santas. Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester 01305 2648746 December 7.30pm Raggy Annie – Christmas Ceilidh. Strangways Hall, Abbotsbury 01305 8739566 December 7.30pm ‘Festive Feast of Harp & guitar’. Village Hall, Piddletrenthide 01300 3482476 December 7.30pm Artsreach – A Thousand Kisses Deep. Christine Tobin sings the songs of Leonard Cohen. Comrades Hall, Broadwindsor 01308 8689466 December 7.30pm Artsreach – Festive Feast of Harp and Guitar (Chris and Marie). £8. Piddletrenthide Village Hall. 01300 3482477 December 7.30pm Artsreach – A Thousand Kisses Deep. Christine Tobin sings the songs of Leonard Cohen. £10. Briant-spuddle Village Hall. 01929 4714977 December 9.00pm Skatmandu. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 2640207 December 7.30pm ‘Festive Feast of Harp and guitar’. Village Hall, Winfrith 01305 8521177 December 7.30pm Guy Tortora Duo – Da Blues. Arts Centre, Dorchester 01305 267992/2669267 December 8.00pm What the Funk (funk and northern soul music night). Goldies, Dorchester 01305 458202 8 December 3-5.00pm Jamie Parker (acoustic music). Durno-varia Wine Bar/Café 01305 7560198 December 7.30pm Arish Mel – English Ceilidh. Village hall, Kimmeridge 01929 4807378 December 7.30pm ‘Festive Feast of Harp and guitar’. Village Hall, Langton Matravers 01929 42382412 December 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s, �


Guy Tortora bring blues magic to townAn audience favourite who always sells out at Dorchester Arts Centre, Californian Guy Tortora returns in December in duo form with bass player Costa Tancredi. Expect a mix of blues standards and Guy’s own finely-crafted songs from his three great albums.

Born and raised in Pasadena, California, Guy Tortora is now settled in London. He grew up in southern California, soaking up the rich influences of the incredible music scene in the 60s and 70s.

Over the past few years he has laid claim to a unique niche on the Blues scene in the UK and Europe, from small clubs and theatres to festivals. With this band he has performed live with artists as diverse as Eric Clapton, Pee Wee Ellis, John Cleary and Eric Bibb. He has also performed with Paul Jones, host of BBC Radio 2’s Rhythm and Blues show, and recorded live sessions for Radio 2

His two recent solo albums received a warm welcome in the Blues ’n’ Roots reviews, and a third album was released in 2008 to great acclaim from reviewers and audiences alike. When travel-ling light, he performs in stripped down acoustic mode either on his own, or accompanied by bass or keyboards.

Guy is a guitar player of some accomplishment and a talented songwriter. On both acoustic and electric guitars he plays finger style, and is a fine bottleneck and slide player.

High East Street, Dorchester 01305 26402013 December 8.00pm Folk Music Session. Fox & Hounds, Cat-tistock 01258 83737113 December 7.30 James Lascelles Quartet ‘Aspects of Joy’ (world music) The Hut, Powerstock 01308 48526413 December 7.30pm Arish Mel – English Ceilidh. Village Hall, Kimmeridge 01929 48073713 December 9.00pm Elvis 56 (tribute act). Sydney Arms, Dorchester 01305 25925014 December 9.00pm The Dinnerladies (covers). Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 26402015 December 3-5.00pm Jerry Bird (Celtic guitar & fiddle instru-mentalist). Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café 01305 75601915 December 7.30pm Miranda Sykes & Rex Preston (folk). Arts Centre, Dorchester 01305 267992/26692615 December 7.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. The Chalk and Cheese, Maiden Newton 01300 32139616 December 8.30pm Traditional Folk Music Session. Goldies, Dorchester 01305 45820217 December 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 264020

18 December 7.30pm Noel Noel (Christmas concert). Dorset County Museum, Dorchester 01305 26799218 December 9.00pm AC/Beebies (Rock covers). Bull’s Head, Fordington, Dorchester 01305 26487420 December Elijah Wolfe as heard on BBC Radio 2. The Royal Oak, Cerne Abbas. 01300 34179721 December 9.00pm Tom Toomie. Tom Brown’s Dorchester22 December 3.00pm Tom Caulfield, Jamie Parker, Kipper & Jack Ansell. Durnovaria Wine Bar/Café 01305 75601928 December 9.00pm Elijah Wolf. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 29 November Falling From Vanity (nu-metal) plus support. Finns, Weymouth 01305 77809831 December 9.00pm Vanilla Radio. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 2640203 January 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 26402010 January 9.00pm Open Mic. Night. Tom Brown’s Dorchester 01305 264020

Please send your listings to [email protected]. Visit dorchestervoice.co.uk for more listings!

Guy Tortora in action

Gig Guide pop, rock, jazz, classical…

His playing is not the flashy guitar-slinger style beloved of blues-rockers everywhere, but under-stated, and allows the songs to make an impact.

Guy Tortora DuoDA BLUES - Dorchester Arts CentreSaturday 7 December 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm)£13/£6.50 conc. in advance £14/£7 on the door.


Out & AboutThroughout November and December 9-6pm Self-guided herit-age walk with an optional treasure hunt. 07717 7630637 November 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) The Price of Everything, Daniel Bye – performance lecture. £10 / £8 members & conces-sions. Dorchester Arts centre. 01305 2669267 November Open Mic night hosted by Elijah Wolfe. The Royal Oak, Cerne Abbas 01300 3417978 November That’ll be the Day rock’n’roll variety show. Wey-mouth Pavilion 01305 7832258-10 November 4pm 3 Day Embroidery Group. Join textile artist Sandra Coleridge to explore the world of embroidery. Kingcombe Centre. For more info or to book 01884 2775899 November 8pm (doors and bar 7.30pm) Bob Dylan and the History of Rock ‘n’ Roll (talk) – Michael Gray. £10 / £8 members and concessions. Dorchester Arts Centre. 01305 2669269 November from 5pm fireworks 7.30pm Firework Extrava-ganza. Sherborne Castle9 November 7pm Steve Hughes (comedy) The Electric Palace, Bridport. 01308 4249019 November Christmas Craft & Gourmet Food Fair. Kingston Maurward Gardens & Animal Park 01305 2150039 November 10am-2pm Christmas Crafts and Vintage and Sec-ondhand Clothes Sale. Organised by Women’s Action Network Dorset. South Walks House, Dorchester 01305 2522049 November 7.30pm The Mocky Horror Tribute Show (theatre). George Albert Hotel, A37 nr Evershot 01935 483430 9 November 10.00am Book Fair. United Church Hall, Shaftes-bury 01725 51448010 November Remembrance Sunday. Bovington Camp’s Re-membrance Sunday service is held at the Tank Museum and is free for all to attend. Bovington Tank Museum 01929 40509610 November 10.30am Remembrance Day Parade and Service War Memorial, South Walks.10 November 3-5pm Workshop for singers and musicians led by Tim Laycock and Phil Humphries. Strangeways Village Hall, Abbotsbury. The project will culminate in two carol concerts at St Mary’s Church, Winterborne Abbas on 1 December and St Nicholas’ Church, Abbotsbury, on 8 December. £20 in total. Info and to book 01305 26951210 November 2.30pm Commemoration at Memorial to Ger-man Prisoners of War Fordington Cemetery10-17 November Bridport Literary Festival. Various venues. www.bridlit.com or 01308 42490111 November 11am Armistice Day Commemoration War Memorial, South Walks11 November 11am Poems of War. £5/£4 All proceeds to Help for Heroes. Bridport Arts 01308 42420411-15 November 12.00 5-day Willow Workshop. £332. King-combe Centre 01300 320684.12 November 2.30pm ‘When the Germans Invaded Dorches-ter’, with Brian Bates (lecture). Beaminster Museum 01308 86357713 November 1.30pm Wreath-making workshop. Dorset County Museum, Dorchester 01305 75682713 November 1-3.30pm Fabric Wreath Craft Workshop. Dorchester Museum. £7.50 Booking essential. Email [email protected] or Dorchester TIC14 November Access All Areas is our popular behind the scenes tour. Bovington Tank Museum 01929 40509614 November 10.00am-4.00pm Antiques & Vintage Fair, Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01929 47198715 November 7.30 Jon Richardson (stand-up comedy). Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 26799215 November 7.30 The Six Wives of Henry VIII (performance).

Hut, Powerstock 01308 48526415 November noon-1.00pm & 2.00-3.00pm Meet the House and Collections Manager. Kingston Lacey House 01202 88340215 November 7.30pm I Wish Her Well (music & dance). Village Hall, Buckland Newton 01300 34554315 November 10-4pm Wet Felting workshop. Upwey Village Hall. For more info and to book 01305 269512 16 November 7.30pm Artsreach - Six Wives of Henry VIII (by Living Spit) Martinstown Village Hall. £8/£6 01305 88959216 November 10-12pm Book Sale & Coffee and Cake. Moreton Village Hall.16-17 November Attack of The Daleks! To mark 50 years of the nation’s favourite Time Lord, The Tank Museum is hosting a spe-cial Dr Who weekend. Bovington Tank Museum 01929 40509616-17 November 10-4pm Fungi Foray at Kingcombe and Powerstock. £55. 01300 32068416 November 9.30am Book Fair, Church Hall, Digby Rd, Sherborne 01803 61335616 November 7.30 The Six Wives of Henry VIII (performance). Village Hall, Martinstown 01305 88959216 November 10.00am-Noon Books, Coffee & Cake. Village Hall, Moreton 01929 46322116 November 9.30am Book Fair, Church Hall, Digby Rd, Sherborne 01803 61335617 November 9.30am Book Fair, Village Hall, Stratton 01763 24840017 November 2.00pm Vintage Tea Dance, Public Hall, Beamin-ster 07505 79825820 November 10-4pm Meet Santa at Farmer Palmer’s. Wareham 01202 62202221-23 November, 7:30pm Dorchester Drama, Life and Beth by Alan Aykbourn, Sunninghill Community Hall. Tickets £8 in advance (£5 conc.) from Trinity Stores, Trinity Street Dorchester or box office 01305 889202. Tickets on the door £9.21 November 7.30pm Tyneham Time Remembered (perform-ance). Village Hall, Corfe Castle 01929 55614822 November 7.30pm Tyneham Time Remembered (perform-ance). Village Hall, Corfe Castle 01929 55614822 November 7.30pm (doors and bar 7pm) ‘Drugs on Trial: From Lab to Patient’ with Dr Mike Youle – Café Scientifique. Dorchester Arts Centre. 01305 26692623 November 10-4pm Christmas Bazaar, Frampton Village Hall. www.castlecraftsdorset.co.uk23 November 8pm (doors & bar 7.30pm) Henry Blofeld: TMS and all that talk - Dorchester Arts Centre £16 / £14 members and concessions Box office 01305 26692623 November 9am-4pm Dorchester Farmers’ Market, South Street 01258 81828223 November 3pm Artsreach – I Believe in Unicorns (Theatre Alibi) Broadmayne Village Hall. £6/£5 01305 854205 23 November 2.30 & 7.30pm Tyneham Time Remembered (performance). Village Hall, Corfe Castle 01929 55614823 November 7.30pm Henry Blofeld: TMS and All That (talk). Dorchester Arts Centre 01305 267992/26692623 November 7.00pm Reclaim the Night (workshop & march – women only). Town Hall, Dorchester 01305 25220423-24 November 4pm An Introduction to Observing the Night Sky (2 Days) £96 01300 32068424 November 3pm St Catherine’s Day service at St Catherine’s Chapel Abbotsbury. www.abbotsbury.co.uk24 November 7.30pm Artsreach – Petites Annonces (Petite An-nonces) Portesham Village Hall. £8/£6 01305 87192528 November 7.30pm Wine Tasting ‘Tour de France’ (inc. 3


course dinner), Cafe Panini, Dorchester 01308 42750029 November 7.30pm Stand Up Dorchester (comedy). Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 26799229 November 7.30pm Somerset and Dorset Railway Trust ‘GWR Motor Buses, Radipole Halt, Steam Railmotors, Push-Pull Trains, Diesel Railcars and Halts in General’ (talk). Colliton Club, Dorchester 01305 26212130 November 11am-5pm Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair. Athelhampton House 01305 26799230 November Craft Fair. The Corn Exchange 01305 45825230 November Marty Wilde. Weymouth Pavilion 01305 78322530 November 7pm Ardal O’Hanlan. The Electric Palace, Brid-port. £20.50 in advance. 01308 42490130 November 11-5pm Dorset Food & Drink Christmas Fair. Athelhampton House 01305 22823930 November-24 December Santa Specials at Swanage Railway. (30 November, 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23 & 24 December). 01929 4258001 December 11-4pm Love Fashion Vintage Fair. £1 entry. The Electric Palace, Bridport. 01308 4249011 December 10-4pm Meet Santa at Farmer Palmer’s. Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Organford, Wareham. 01202 6220221 December 11-4pm Victorian Christmas Market Event. Nothe Fort, Weymouth. www.nothefort.org1 December 10.30am ‘Woad to wedgewood’ (guided NT walk) Corfe Castle 01929 4770623 December 2.30pm ‘Roman Army at Beaminster’, with John Smith (lecture). Beaminster Museum 01308 8635774 December 1.00pm Introduction to Calligraphy (adult craft workshop), £7.50. Dorset County Museum, Dorchester 01305 7568275 December Dorset Vintage & Classic Auctions. Athelhampton House & Gardens 01305 228239

5 December from 5.30pm Dorchester Christmas Cracker, South Street, and Christmas market in the Corn Exchange. 01305 2508086 December 6.00pm Christmas Fayre. Piddle Valley First School Piddletrenthide 01300 3482196 December 6.30pm Mind the Gap Theatre ‘Treasure Island’. Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 267992 6 December 10.00am-noon Forest School Friday (0-5 yr olds – nature workshop). Thorners School Discovery & Wildlife Area, Litton Cheney 07813 8148757 December 9am-1pm Poundbury Farmers’ Market, Queen Mother Square, Poundbury7 December 10-4pm Meet Santa at Farmer Palmer’s. Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Organford, Wareham. 01202 6220227 December 10-4pm Christmas Crafts & Gift Market. Digby Memorial Hall, Sherborne. 01749 6770497 December Kingcombe Centre Christmas Fayre. 01300 3214097-8 December Wartime Christmas Festival 2013. Take a step back in time to experience a Wartime Christmas and browse our festive trade stalls. Bovington Tank Museum. 01929 4050967-8 December 10-4pm Santa’s Grotto. Kingston Maurward. 01305 2150038 December 12-6pm I’m Dreamimg of a Wyke Christmas. Village street fair, arts and crafts. Old Wyke Square, Wyke Regis, Weymouth.8 December 10-4pm Meet Santa at Farmer Palmer’s. Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Organford, Wareham. 01202 6220228 December TBC Artsreach – West Gallery Carols (The Ridgeway Choir). Abbotsbury Church. To be confirmed. 01305 2695128 December 4.30pm Wareham Christmas Celebrations. Town Centre, Wareham 01929 55274010 December 4.30pm Light Up A Life Service. Subtropical


gardens, Abbotsbury. 01305 87113012 December-5 January Cinderella. Weymouth Pavilion. 13 December 7.30pm Lucy Porter ‘Northern Soul’ (comedy). Dorchester Arts Centre 01305 267992/26692613 December 2.00pm St Martin’s Broadmayne Community Market, Broadmayne 01305 85376514 December 1.00pm Tim Laycock ‘Carolling at Hardy’s Birth-place’ Hardy’s Cottage, Bockhampton 01305 26253814 December 10.00am Book Fair. United Church Hall, Shaftes-bury 01725 51448014 December 10-4pm Dorchester Antiques and Vintage Fair. Corn Exchange. £1 admission. 01929 47198714 December 9.30-2.30pm Christmas Gift & Craft Fayre. St Mary’s Church House, South Street, Bridport.14-15 December 10-4pm Meet Santa at Farmer Palmer’s. Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Organford, Wareham. 01202 62202215 December Chase the Pudding Santa Dash. Weymouth Beach.15 December 3pm Carols at Farmer Palmer’s. Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Organford, Wareham. 01202 62202215 December 2.00pm Vintage Tea Dance, Public Hall, Beamin-ster 07505 79825818 December 2.30 & 7.30pm Ballet Theatre UK ‘The Nut-cracker’ (ballet). Corn Exchange, Dorchester 01305 26799219 December 8pm The Amazing Mr Smith. Sunray Folk Club, Broadmayne Village Hall. £7 (£1 Annual membership applies) 07786 654074 www.sunrayfolkclub.co.uk20-22 December Bear Feast – A Pagan Celebration of Midwin-ter. Ancient Technology Centre, Cranborne. 21 December 9am-4pm Dorchester Farmers’ Market, South Street, Dorchester21-22 December 10-4pm Meet Santa at Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park, Organford, Wareham. 01202 62202221 December 7.15am Winter Solstice. Corfe Castle, Wareham.21 December 9.30am Book Fair, Church Hall, Digby Rd, Sher-borne 01803 61335621 December 6.00pm ‘Going the Rounds’ (guided walk) Tho-mas Hardy Society event with Tim Laycock, Mike Bailey & The Madding Crowd – music, singing & mince pies, Thorncombe Wood, Bockhampton – 01305 25150121 December 7.30pm Forest Forge ‘Ann of Green Gables (thea-tre). Village Hall, Corfe Castle 01929 55614821 December 7.15 am Winter Solstice celebration. Corfe Castle 08442 49189525 December Christmas Day Harbour Swim. Weymouth27 December-5 January 2014 10-4pm Christmas Dinosaur Hunt. The Dinosaur Museum. 01305 26988029/30 December Aladdin (panto). George Albert Hotel, Ever-shot 01935 483430

31 December 5pm Service St Catherine’s Chapel, Abbotsbury. www.abbotsbury.co.uk4 January 2014, 9am-1pm Poundbury Farmers’ Market, Queen Mother Square, Poundbury.3 January 10.00am-noon Forest School Friday (0-5 yr olds – nature workshop) Thorners School Discovery & Wildlife Area, Litton Cheney 07813 8148756 January 10.30am Saxon Springs (guided NT walk) Corfe Castle 01929 477062

Please send your listings to [email protected]. Visit dorchestervoice.co.uk for more listings!Information in this magazine is published in good faith. The Dorchester Voice does not accept any liability for the accuracy of any material included, nor from any losses or claims arising from any such inaccuracies. All contributions are accepted on the basis that they are free from any copyright restrictions. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the publisher’s written permission. Published by New Media Horizons Ltd, 7 Durngate Street, Dorchester DT1 1JP. ©2013

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Local farmers’ marketsDorchester, South Street

Saturday, 23 November 2013, 9am-4pmPoundbury, Queen Mother Square

Saturday, 7 December 2013, 9am-1pmDorchester, South Street

Saturday, 21 December 2013, 9am-4pmPoundbury, Queen Mother Square

Saturday, 4 January 2014, 9am-1pm

dorchester issue no. 6 november-december 2013 voice...

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